Digitalization
27. June 2023
The 3 forbidden words for any software engineer: Just, simply and only
It is a well-known joke in the software development community that there are three words that can make any software engineer laugh (or blink nervously). These are the magic words: “just”, “simply” and “only”.
These words are often used by people outside the industry to describe software engineers’ work, but they rarely capture the reality of their profession or the complexity of a task.
What is the challenge with “just”?
The word “just” is one of the most misused words when it comes to software development.
When someone says, “Can you not just do this?” or “…it should just…”, they often forget the time, energy and expertise required to implement a change in a codebase especially in a way that is stable, easy to maintain and scalable.
The impact of “simply” in software development tasks
As with “just”, “simply” is often used to downplay the work required to complete a software development task.
When someone says, “Can you not simply do it this way?”, they often overlook the complexities and challenges associated with the task.
The best one is when you combine “simply” with “just”, so it becomes: “can you not just simply fetch that information from our CRM system?”
In doing so, you oversimplify and diminish the task of thinking the solution through to the end specifically with a focus on stability, maintainability and scalability.
The word “only” can be the root of all evil
The term “only” is another favourite among people who are not familiar with software development. What may seem easy to an outsider can be a complex and time-consuming task for a software engineer.
For example, pulling data from another system is “only” a matter of it being available. But what is not visible to the naked eye is how that information is made available.
- Does the system even allow you to retrieve the data?
- When should it be retrieved (at 00:00 every day, in real time, etc.)?
- Should data flow to and from the external system?
- In what format can the data be retrieved, and what is your own solution designed for?
- And MUCH more.
The reality behind “just”, “simply” and “only” in software development
The reality is that software development is a complex and often challenging field. It requires a deep understanding of programming languages, system architecture and many other technical skills.
On top of that, every technical setup is different, and each company’s business logic must be incorporated into every solution.
Using words like “just”, “simply” and “only” to describe this process does not do justice to the time, effort and expertise it requires, and you risk ending up with unstable, poorly thought-out solutions if this is the language you use when engaging your developers.
How to communicate effectively with your software engineers
If you want to communicate effectively with software engineers, it is important to understand their work and to appreciate the time and expertise it requires.
Avoid using the three “naughty words” and instead try asking questions and learning more about what their work involves and what makes something not “that simple”.
My recommendation is to use good questioning techniques so you understand what drives a given complexity. Understand what you are giving up if you choose a “just simply” solution, so you can make an informed decision.
